Kamloops Home Inspections: Pool Safety and Air Conditioner Maintenance

Pools are a very popular feature for homes in Kamloops due to our warm weather. Mid summer is the most popular season for swimming pools in Kamloops. Routine maintenance is important for any swimming pool equipment. Here are some must know/must do items regarding swimming pools. • Hire a service contractor to routinely check equipment. • Establish a maintenance routine based on your pool equipment. • Maintain chemical balance, treatment and water chemistry. • Keep records on maintenance and water chemistry. • Routinely check for leaks at piping and other systems. • Regularly change or clean filters and screens. • Never allow children to use the pool without adult supervision. • Install an electronic or automated safety monitoring system to detect water movement when the pool is not in use. • Secure the pool with a proper enclosure such as a 5′ or higher locking fence when not in use.

Keeping Cool with Air Conditioning

Homes in Kamloops often have air conditioners because of our sometimes blisteringly hot summers but very few people know what what to look for if the air conditioner doesn’t seem to be keeping your home cool. If your home’s inside temperature is feeling more like the warm outside temperature, it could be a problem with the air conditioning system. What should you do to inspect it if the air conditioning is not working in your home? • Check the thermostat. Is it set to “cooling” or “AC?” Is it set lower than the room temperature? If it’s a digital thermostat, is the battery dead? • Check the on/off switch on the side of the furnace or near the furnace. The furnace fan distributes air for the air conditioner and must be on. • Check if the disconnect switch outside at the AC unit is switched off, disconnect pulled or the fuse blown. • Check if the main breaker fuse for the air conditioner is off. Reset the breaker or replace the fuse. • Check for a broken belt or clogged air filter on the furnace. This is a VERY common cause of AC not cooling the entire house properly. • Check if the coil above the furnace iced up. • Check if the exterior coil is dirty or blocked by plants. Fallen leaves and cut grass in the air conditioner can greatly reduce your A/Cs effectiveness, efficiency, and life span. • It is always important to call a qualified service technician when you have questions or concerns and don’t feel comfortable performing the above checks yourself. Remember to NEVER put your hands or any other part of your body anywhere where you could be injured. Guards and covers are there for a reason, don’t remove them to look unless you have disconnected all the power to the system in question. When in doubt, call a professional.